East Central Reporter

State Representative Adam Niemerg has issued a warning to Illinois residents about a new text message scam. The fraudulent messages claim to be from the "Illinois State Department of Motor Vehicles" and threaten to suspend vehicle registration and driving privileges. According to Niemerg, the Illinois DMV only sends texts regarding scheduled appointments and does not communicate about license or registration status via text.

“These phishing scams have become too common and more frequent with our use of cell phones and are attempts to cheat Illinoisans out of their personal information and hard-earned money,” stated Rep. Niemerg. He urged residents to scrutinize incoming messages carefully, emphasizing that not all texts come from familiar or legitimate sources.

The fake messages aim to trick recipients into sharing personal or financial details. Niemerg advises individuals who encounter such scams to report them to the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov.

For further assistance, constituents can reach Rep. Niemerg’s office at (217) 813-3063 or visit his website at RepNiemerg.com.